AHP’s Lucknow to Ayodhya Rally (21-23 Oct 2018) led by Dr Pravin Togadia was a vibrant reminiscent of 6th Dec 1992 to fight for Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. As PM Modi and BJP betrayed Hindu voters in the name of Ram with ‘no effort for Ram Temple’, Togadia declared new Hindu Political Party for establishment of ‘Ram Rajya.

As Uttar Pradesh Police of a so called Mahant and CM Yogi Adityanath started torture on Ram bhakts who reached Lucknow on 20th Oct and evacuated them from many resting places, cane charged and even spoiled their cooking arrangements; the ‘Ayodhya Marchers’ tolerated all these only to reach Ayodhya anyway by 21st Oct night. The UP Govt non-cooperated to hold the Lucknow to Ayodhya March in every footstep in a step motherly fashion with utter brutality. It was never expected from a Mahant and Yogi who came to power in UP in the name of Lord Ram.

When AHP supremo. Dr Togadia reached Ayodhya before evening on same 21 Oct, he was informed not to hold any meeting without permission. Even Ayodhya Police negated permission to start cooking for thousands of hungry Rambhakts reaching Ayodhya to join Dr Togadia near Naya Ghat Ayodhya.

In such a situation Dr Togadia started indefinite hunger strike with a demand to feed the Rambhakts on starvation, sitting in the stair cases of Paramhans Ram Chandra Das Ji’s Samadhi Mandir in the bank of River Saryu. Dr Togadia immediately took a press meet and discussed with the local administration about the next programmes of AHP would be turned violent if the repression on lakhs of Rambhakts couldn’t be stopped. The local administration gave a permission to start cooking at 10-30 pm and Ram bhakts staying in Nayaghat and Paramhans Ramchandra Das Samadhi Mandir completed their food by 1 am night and laid on the stairs on the bank of River Saryu under the open sky. Then Dr Togadia lifted his ‘Dharna’ and took two ‘puri’ and ‘sabji’ from the cooked food arranged by some Akhadads and Ashrams to break his fasting.

On 22nd Oct. lakhs of Ram Bhakts took their holy dip in River Saryu and offered puja in Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir and other temples and shrines in Ayodhya in thousands of groups and saw their Prabhu (Lord) Ram under a tent in a very pitiable condition. At 3 pm all the Rambhakts again gathered at Naya Ghat near Paramhans Ramchandra Das Samadhi Mandir to hear from Dr Pravin Togadia. Dr. Togadia conveyed his ultimatum to PM Modi and CM Yogi to declare plan to start Ayodhya Ram Mandir and hinted a Political movement to lead the Indian polity towards Ram Rajya after building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi.

In the meantime, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut met Dr Togadia in Ayodhya, while the former was in Ayodhya to see the arrangements of SS Chief Uddhav Thakre’s Ayodhya visit in November.

Dr Togadia accused the BJP and the RSS of betraying Hindus, saying that instead of building a Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, they were now preparing to build a mosque in Ayodhya.

The former international working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed the BJP and the RSS were now busy appeasing Muslims, whom, he said, the RSS brought to Ayodhya to perform ‘wazu’ (ablutions) with the Saryu water and offer namaaz on its bank.

Togadia made the allegations while addressing lakhs of his followers on the bank of Saryu after holding an oath-taking ceremony with them to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Accusing the BJP-led Modi government in the Centre of suppressing the Hindus’ voice, Togadia urged his followers to launch a movement to elect a Hindus’ government in the upcoming 2019 next general elections.

“In fifteen Hindu ‘dharma sansad’ since 1984, unanimous resolutions have been passed that the BJP would get a law enacted to build a Lord Rama temple on getting a clear majority, but they have betrayed all ‘dharam sansads’ and decided to wait and obey the court verdict now,” he said.

Togadia said he along with his followers would perform a ‘parikrama’ of the make-shift Ram temple and hold a public meeting to announce how the Hindus should vote in the next election.

On 23th Oct, the local Administration and Police added with extra contingent of CRPF, RAF etc. made the temple town of Ayodhya as a cantonment. But, the Police never calculated a repetition of the flow of Rambhakts like 6th Dec 1992 again.

Actually, Ayodhya never saw such a retaliation of Hindus after 6th Dec 1992.

In such a situation Dr Togadia appeared in front of Hanumangadi at about 10.30 am and police stopped him to proceed towards Janmabhoomi site, police did not allow Ramkot Parikrama and Rambhakts broke the police barricade to escort and protect their leader from police arrest. Then Dr Togadia started his march to Saryu Naya Ghat with lakhs of his followers to declare his strategy against tyrant Modi-Yogi Govts.

Reaching Nayaghat Dr Togadia started ‘sankalp rally’ on the banks of the river Saryu in Ayodhya.

“The people who swore in the name of Ram temple have managed to make a Rs 500-crore office for themselves in New Delhi, while Lord Ram continues to live under the open sky, in a tent,” he said.

Togadia said his party would field candidates against the ‘anti-Hindu’ forces in the 2019 parliament elections. “Our entire focus would be to reclaim Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura in three months when a Hindu party will be in power,” he said.

Togadia slammed the BJP for “ignoring” the interests of Hindus, by not doing enough to ensure a grand Ram temple is constructed at the disputed site. Hindus will now vote for a Hindu government and the BJP will be defeated, he said. Togadia also criticized PM Modi not to visit once in Ayodhya Ram Temple but he attended Mosque in Indore.

“Like me, thousands have been betrayed by the BJP over the issue of construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and we will punish the BJP in the 2019 general elections,” he said.

Dr Togadia said he would also demand that the minority status given to Muslims be scrapped with a strict law to control population with two children maximum for a Muslim couple.

The firebrand Hindutva leader urged 10000 Hindu political whole timers and 25 youth per polling booth (Har ek Booth- 25 Youth) to change the scenario of Bharat to make a Ram Rajya (Hindu Rashtra). Dr Togadia also urged the RSS, VHP and BJP workers to join him if they were not getting prestige in their organization and could not fulfill their ideals to make the mother land prosperous.

Dr Togadia gave a helpline mobile number as 8010331170 to make a missed call to it for joining the new political wing of AHP. Many seers and saints of Ayodhya attended and gave their blessings in the Sankalp rally of AHP on 23 rd Oct in Ayodhya.

Though the supporters of Togadia clashed with police after the former broke the boundary barricades of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid premises, trying to enter the area, police lodged FIR against thousands unknown.

After the clash, all roads to Ayodhya were blocked by the police for hours. The police had to use force to disperse the mob, said officials, adding that the roads were opened after conditions became normal and Dr Togadia left Ayodhya to reach Delhi.